September 10
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1
She came into our lives unexpectedly. We certainly we're not looking for a new dog to add to our family at that point. In fact, our grief was quite raw that day following the death of our little Darby. An aggressive form of canine cancer had taken him from us in just a couple of weeks. Never would we have imagined he could spiral downward so fast! We really thought he'd be with us several more years. After all, his "sister" had lived for 15 years! I never knew how deeply a dog experienced the death of another dog they lived with, until witnessing Darby's grief after Tippy's death months before. As he grieved, so did we.
Still reeling from just losing my beloved Dad just a few months before, and our Tippy six months before that, I was unprepared for the level of grief and anger I was experiencing over Darby's loss. No way did I feel up to going to work the following morning, but as difficult as it was, I thought I it was the best thing for me. I held my own until one of my long time patients came in and seeing my face, asked me what was wrong. She knew me well and I her. When I told her about Darby, she immediately asked if I'd want a puppy. Her son, a breeder, had a pen full! I politely declined, then dropped my jaw as she proceeded to call him anyway! My heart was too heavy to even think of another dog! Her phone, now stuck in my hand, was blasting with a man's voice on the other end, telling me the name of the town he lived in and when we could go see the noisy puppies I heard in the background. I listened in disbelief! The name of his town, the town the pups were born in, was the name of our street! Thinking about when Darby was diagnosed as well as trying to determine exactly how old these puppies were, I asked when they were born. My breath was taken away to hear that their birth date was the number of our house. And I said, "We'll be there."
And thus little Maizy entered our hearts and filled us with renewed joy. She teetered and waddled across the pen directly to my daughter, Kate, and we knew she was ours! Not for several weeks would she be ready to leave her mama, but that was actually perfect, giving us time to reflect and get through our sadness. This tiny, frisky tan puppy with huge paws, grew to be a hundred pounds of beautiful honey colored, gold-red energy and loyalty; funny, quirky, intelligent and faithful. And so came about my favorite nick name for her, “Honey Girl!”
Maizy has an uncanny awareness of who is ill in the family, even visitors! Beside them she will stay, ever present, ever watchful. (How many situations she has faithfully seen me through!) She'll go without eating unless encouraged, rather than leave the room that person might be in. Now it’s our turn. We are the ones ever watchful of her, as age and declining health take their toll on her once very energetic body. And I can't help but remember a phone call placed at just the right moment and God's little reminder through the name of a town and a date, that in His time, there is a season for everything.
Heavenly Father, let us look to the seasons of our lives with reassurance that You are keeping watch over us.
Copyright© 2014 Kathleen A. Matson
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1
She came into our lives unexpectedly. We certainly we're not looking for a new dog to add to our family at that point. In fact, our grief was quite raw that day following the death of our little Darby. An aggressive form of canine cancer had taken him from us in just a couple of weeks. Never would we have imagined he could spiral downward so fast! We really thought he'd be with us several more years. After all, his "sister" had lived for 15 years! I never knew how deeply a dog experienced the death of another dog they lived with, until witnessing Darby's grief after Tippy's death months before. As he grieved, so did we.
Still reeling from just losing my beloved Dad just a few months before, and our Tippy six months before that, I was unprepared for the level of grief and anger I was experiencing over Darby's loss. No way did I feel up to going to work the following morning, but as difficult as it was, I thought I it was the best thing for me. I held my own until one of my long time patients came in and seeing my face, asked me what was wrong. She knew me well and I her. When I told her about Darby, she immediately asked if I'd want a puppy. Her son, a breeder, had a pen full! I politely declined, then dropped my jaw as she proceeded to call him anyway! My heart was too heavy to even think of another dog! Her phone, now stuck in my hand, was blasting with a man's voice on the other end, telling me the name of the town he lived in and when we could go see the noisy puppies I heard in the background. I listened in disbelief! The name of his town, the town the pups were born in, was the name of our street! Thinking about when Darby was diagnosed as well as trying to determine exactly how old these puppies were, I asked when they were born. My breath was taken away to hear that their birth date was the number of our house. And I said, "We'll be there."
And thus little Maizy entered our hearts and filled us with renewed joy. She teetered and waddled across the pen directly to my daughter, Kate, and we knew she was ours! Not for several weeks would she be ready to leave her mama, but that was actually perfect, giving us time to reflect and get through our sadness. This tiny, frisky tan puppy with huge paws, grew to be a hundred pounds of beautiful honey colored, gold-red energy and loyalty; funny, quirky, intelligent and faithful. And so came about my favorite nick name for her, “Honey Girl!”
Maizy has an uncanny awareness of who is ill in the family, even visitors! Beside them she will stay, ever present, ever watchful. (How many situations she has faithfully seen me through!) She'll go without eating unless encouraged, rather than leave the room that person might be in. Now it’s our turn. We are the ones ever watchful of her, as age and declining health take their toll on her once very energetic body. And I can't help but remember a phone call placed at just the right moment and God's little reminder through the name of a town and a date, that in His time, there is a season for everything.
Heavenly Father, let us look to the seasons of our lives with reassurance that You are keeping watch over us.
Copyright© 2014 Kathleen A. Matson